How to Install Deep Cycle Batteries for Home Electricity

Batteries are an important component of many solar energy systems.

Any type of alternative generating system should include a battery bank, or you won't have power when the system isn't producing energy. Although solar and wind generators most commonly charge deep cycle battery banks, you can just as easily do it with fuel-powered generators. No matter how you charge the batteries, however, you'll probably have to convert their output to residential 120-volt AC power for them to be useful to you.

Series and Parallel Wiring

The way you wire batteries together determines the capacity of the system and the voltage of the output. Wiring two batteries together in parallel, with their positive leads connected to each other as well as their negative leads, doubles the capacity of the system while keeping the voltage the same as that of each battery. This doubles the amount of time the bank will last when fully charged. Wiring them in series, with the positive terminal of one battery connected to the negative of the other, doubles the voltage while maintaining the capacity the same as that of each battery.

Sizing the Bank

If you have more than two batteries, you can modify both the capacity and the voltage of the system, depending on how you connect them. For the bank to be effective, it's important for its operating voltage to match the output voltage of the charging device. For a 12-volt bank being charged by a 24-volt device, you would connect the bank in modules consisting of pairs of batteries wired together in series. Voltage determines the number of batteries in a module. In a 48-volt bank of 12-volt batteries, one module consists of four batteries.

Locating the Batteries

Locate deep cycle batteries in a sheltered, well-ventilated location. The most convenient spot is often close to the electrical panel, so you can easily wire them into your residential electrical system. If the panel is in the basement, that's probably also a good place for the batteries, as long as it isn't too damp and has enough ventilation to prevent the build-up of toxic, explosive gases. Many people prefer to mount large battery banks on moveable racks. In this configuration, individual batteries are more easily serviced, and you can move the whole bank if needed.

Input and Output

Whether your bank charges from solar, wind or fossil fuel generators, you generally need to connect a charge controller between the generator and the bank. It regulates input, prevents overcharging and also prevents electricity from flowing back toward the generator. If your house has a standard 120-volt AC electrical system, you need an inverter on the output end. The inverter converts the DC power from the batteries into useable AC power. Inverters come in various sizes. Some can power a large house while others only one or two appliances at a time.